Use of a vegetal or plant fiber

ABSTRACT

A fiber material from the fruits of poplars, willows, composites or similar plants is suitable for use as a raw material for insulation, for the production of fiber mattresses or as a filling or padding material. The fiber material can be extracted from closed fruits with the plants being dried and/or opened using an air flow and agitated in a treatment chamber ( 17 ), whereby the fiber material ( 21 ) contained in the fruit capsules ( 19 ) is substantially separated from the other constituent parts of the fruits. Disadvantages related to the use of cotton are thereby avoided.

[0001] This application is a divisional of 09/762,254 filed Feb. 5, 2001 which was the national stage of PCT/DE99/02477 filed Aug. 9, 1999 and claiming Paris Convention priority of DE 198 35 771.0 filed Aug. 7, 1998 the entire disclosure of which are all hereby incorporated by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] The invention relates to a use of fiber material as a raw material for insulation purposes or for the manufacture of non-wovens or as padding or filling material.

[0003] The principle is known of using insulating materials, filling or padding materials, or non-woven materials for insulation purposes in bed covers, sleeping bags, or the like. The known raw materials can be, for example, cotton, animal products, or plastics.

[0004] The cultivation of cotton plants is carried out as an intensive agricultural activity as a monoculture with, in most cases, considerable use of pesticides. For this reason, agricultural cultivation areas and their surroundings are subjected to heavy environmental burden and damage.

[0005] The obtaining of a raw material from animal products requires in part animal husbandry on a considerable scale, since the animal products are manufactured from duck and geese down and feathers.

[0006] The use of plastics, such as foamed materials, as insulation or filling materials, has the disadvantage that these plastics possess only limited respiration activity and in part give rise to possibly unhealthy emanations.

[0007] To manufacture insulation and filling materials or non-wovens, recourse is made, for example, to cotton fibers. It is well known that cotton harvesting and cotton gin machinery are used to harvest and acquire plant fibers from the blossom of cotton plants. With the aid of these machines, cotton bolls, which have already opened, are cut off and gathered in. The fibers are as a rule acquired in such a way that the pods, which have already been emptied, are also gathered. The fibers are then separated from the seeds of the cotton plants by mechanical ginning and centrifugal methods.

[0008] DE 183 923 discloses a machine for the gathering of fibers remaining adherent to the cottonseed pods, in which striker elements of the machine strike against the material to be processed with considerable force. A linting-ginning machine known from DE 23 37 227 A1 is intended for further processing of cottonseeds and the lint (short-staple cotton) adhering to them, in which the long-staple cotton is separated from the seeds beforehand by means of a ginning machine. The linting-ginning machine in question uses for this purpose, inter alia, a drum, which is clad on the inside with abrasive material. U.S. Pat. No. 5,040,270 discloses drying and cleaning the harvested fibers, already separated from boll pods, by means of heated air.

[0009] In view of the above, it is the underlying object of the invention to develop a simple and effectively applied use of a vegetal or plant fiber material other than the conventional cotton fibers.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0010] The solution according to the invention consists in the use of a fiber material from at least one of poplar, willow, composites, and similar plants for the manufacture of at least one of insulation materials, filling, padding materials, papers, body padding, coverings, non-woven materials, textile material, natural-fiber-reinforced plastics, insulation material for construction purposes, sound-proofing materials, thermal insulation, cosmetic products, hygiene products, diapers, wadding, sanitary napkins, and filter materials.

[0011] Accordingly, the invention consists of a use of fiber material for insulation purposes or for the manufacture of non-woven materials, or as a filler or padding material, which is extracted from the fruits of poplars, willows, composites or similar plants. The closed fruits of poplars, willows, composites or similar plants can be previously dried and/or opened in a treatment process by means of an air flow in such a way, and moved in a treatment chamber in such a way, that the fiber material contained in the fruit pods is largely released from the remaining constituents of the fruits.

[0012] The term “fruits” is to be understood in this case not as the botanical-scientific term, but rather as the fruit pods, seed pods, and possibly also pseudocarps, which can be harvested as one unit from the plant (as far as possible in a largely or wholly closed state), which on opening, release the fibers and seeds, whereby the fibers are largely separated from the seeds.

[0013] By means of the solution according to the invention, a substitution of the known insulating or filling materials is possible, in that a natural plant material native to Central Europe and other regions of the world can be acquired with the same or improved quality features. During cultivation and acquisition, it is possible to do away with monocultures requiring the use of pesticides and the agricultural investment, as well as with long hauling distances. The method is suitable, inter alia, for the seed hairs and the adherent elements to assist in the flight of the seeds of different species of poplar or willow (Salicacae) as well as composites (Asteracaea) and epilobium types.

[0014] Attention is drawn to the fact that the seeds do not necessarily have to be separated entirely from the seed hairs, since they can also be finally released and fall through in a processing procedure in carding machines.

[0015] The fruits of the Salicacea cannot be harvested from the tree with existing machines, nor does the white tuft material of the fruits (seed hairs, adherent flight elements for flight-dispersal of the seeds) remain attached to the fruit pods after the pods have opened, because the adherent elements will already be carried off by a light wind.

[0016] The striker elements of the machine according to DE 183 923 would cause the contamination/ discoloration of the fibers due to colored plant constituents and/or the contamination of the fibers by vegetable oil due to the crushing of the seedpods. It is also of significance that the striker elements have an extreme mechanical effect on the plant fibers, which results in a clear reduction in the quality of the raw fiber material acquired. This applies in particular to the seed and fruit hairs of the plants particularly under consideration with regard to the invention, which feature a substantially finer fiber cross-section and which therefore react to mechanical effects in a more sensitive manner. It is therefore important to exert no mechanical effect, or as little mechanical effect as possible on the fibers to be acquired.

[0017] With a rational harvesting of the fruit pods of poplar or willow by mechanical methods, it is only possible with additional effort to harvest the fruits separately from the seed spindles, fine stems, and leaves. This however can be avoided in that the fruits, which have still not opened, are sawn with the branches from the trees, and coarser branches are then separated from the finer branches on which the fruit hangs. The harvested material with the fruits not yet opened is filled into a container for drying. By the admission of a hot air flow, the fruit pods can be dried and ripened and induced to open. After opening, fiber material and seeds are exposed. Seeds and fiber material can be separated by the material being impacted onto itself, and by striking the walls of the container, as well as by means of air turbulences. This effect can be amplified by additional media located in the container, such as rotating paddles, mixing elements, wooden spheres, or the like. Powerful impacting by mechanical impact elements, however, must not take place.

[0018] One single cycle is sufficient for the fruit pods to be opened, separated from the residual constituents of the material introduced, and adherent flight elements are separated from the seeds. Because branches and leaves may also be filled into the container together with the fruit pods, the plants, which are to be plucked, cannot have the foliage stripped by artificial means.

[0019] The harvested material can be thoroughly pretreated, in that it is stored for one or two days at high air humidity (the material's inherent moisture and possible condensation moisture are in general sufficient for this purpose), in order to initiate the process of releasing the seeds from the seed hairs in a manner which will not damage the fibers and without any mechanical effects.

[0020] The harvested material may be thoroughly pretreated, in that it is watered for several days in order to initiate the process of releasing the seeds from the seed hairs in a manner, which will not damage the fibers, and without any mechanical effects.

[0021] The harvested material can be thoroughly pretreated, in that it is deep-frozen before being filled into the device, in order to promote the process of detaching the seeds from the seed hairs.

[0022] The harvested material can be thoroughly pretreated in that, before being filled into the device, it is pretreated by at least initial fermentation and/or milling (mechanical exertion of pressure on the closed pods).

[0023] The harvested material can be thoroughly pretreated in that, before being filled into the device, it is broken up by powerful shaking.

[0024] A flow may carry the fiber material to a separation chamber, whereby the air flow in the separation chamber is reduced and the fiber material is caught, for example in a net (catchment net). The airflow can carry the fiber material out of the treatment chamber of the container and conduct it to a separation chamber. In the separation chamber, the airflow loses a considerable part of its erosive force. As a result, the heavy particles carried along in the airflow, such as seed kernels and smaller fruit pod fragments, may be deposited on the floor of the separation chamber. These can likewise be separated by means of screening techniques or other separation methods. The essentially lighter adherent flight elements are carried out through an outlet in the separation chamber by the airflow, which has become much weaker. The airflow carrying the adherent flight elements then conducts these elements to the net, the mesh width of which corresponds approximately to that of a mosquito net. The air can escape, while the adherent flight elements are caught.

[0025] To accelerate the harvesting process, branch material bearing fruits can be brought into a treatment chamber. The branch material can be bent off, scraped off, and/or hacked off from the coarse branches before being filled into the container. The cutting of the fruit pods into small pieces during hacking does not cause a problem. Speeding up of the separation process can be achieved by the chamber moving or featuring a moving internal arrangement (drum insert).

[0026] Movement of the constituent parts, which will promote their separation, can be achieved by the container or a container insert element being arranged horizontally, and rotated about the longitudinal axis of the container.

[0027] The separation of the seeds from the seed hairs can be enhanced in that filler substances are used in the rotating drum, which drop onto the seed hairs connected to the seeds. The use of filler substances with surfaces which are not hard, or which are in fact soft, permits extensive protection of the fibers. In particular, additional light filling material with hard surface can be used in a rotating drum, depending on the type of plant. To further advantage, additional cork granulates can be used in the rotating drum.

[0028] Additional cereal grains, maize cob residue/internal elements, acorns, chestnuts, wood chippings, bark chippings, slivers, broken chips, limestone grit (crushed limestone), lightweight minerals, such as swelling clay or tufa or similar filler materials can be used.

[0029] The separation chamber may extend considerably more (in one example, twice as wide) in the horizontal than in the vertical direction. 0This results in the advantage that the contaminated material, when precipitating, no longer impedes the pure fiber material in suspension, since the two fractions which are to be separated already flow along separate paths from the moment of emerging from the connection channel leading to the separation chamber.

[0030] The fiber caught in the catchment net can optionally be further processed to manufacture insulating materials, filling materials, papers, and body paddings or coverings and/or non-woven materials at least partially from the fiber material. The fiber material is suitable for persons allergic to bird feathers and animal hair.

[0031] Instead of the separation chamber with catchment device, a cyclone separator can be provided for, by means of which the lightweight seed hairs are separated from the heavy contaminants. This however, is not very gentle to the fibers from the present perspective.

[0032] Further features and advantages of the invention can be derived from the following description on the basis of the drawings and from the claims. The individual features of the claims can be realized independently or in the form of several features in combination in embodiments of the invention.

[0033]FIG. 1 shows a schematic side view of a device for the performance of a method for the obtaining of fiber material from fruit pods from poplars, willows, composites, or similar plants.

[0034]FIG. 2 shows an embodiment with a suction extraction fan.

[0035]FIG. 3 shows an embodiment with a drum arranged inclined slightly against the horizontal plane.

[0036]FIG. 4 shows a non-rotating transition piece.

[0037]FIG. 5 shows a relatively long separation chamber.

[0038]FIG. 6 shows a lateral face on the outlet side of a drum.

[0039]FIG. 7 shows a lateral face on the outlet side of another drum.

[0040]FIG. 8 shows a cross-section through a drum with carrier ribs or tines.

[0041]FIG. 9 shows the carrier tines from FIG. 8 in a plan view.

[0042]FIG. 10 shows a tube with flow obstacles in cross-section.

[0043] The representation of the drawing are not necessarily to be regarded as being to scale. The drawings illustrate methods and devices suitable for extraction of the fiber material for use in the invention.

[0044] It can be seen from FIG. 1 that a device 1 comprises a container 10 with a drum insert 11. An outlet 12 of the container 10 is connected to a separation chamber 13, so that the container 10 features a passage through to the separation chamber 13. Connected to the outlet 12 is a connection channel 14, which in the embodiment shown runs in a straight line, but in other embodiments can be designed in spiral fashion. With the aid of an inlet 15, the container 10 can be filled with fine branches 16, so that an inhomogeneous amount of material can be moved in a treatment chamber 17 of the container 10. Fine twigs 16 are conducted to the treatment chamber 17, the fruit pods 19 of which, located on twigs 18, have not opened yet. The inhomogeneous material of the treatment chamber 17 is composed of fine branches 16, fruit pods 19, leaves 20, buds, seed hairs 21 and seed kernels 22.

[0045] The drum insert 11 is arranged in a horizontal direction (i.e. with a horizontal axis of rotation 24), and can rotate in the direction of the arrow 23 about the axis of rotation 24 of the container 10. At least one shoulder element, wing, or carrier dog 25, formed at the edge of the drum insert 11, raises the inhomogeneous material at each rotation.

[0046] By means of an inlet nozzle 16, heated air can be conducted into the treatment chamber 17 in the direction of the current 27. The inflow of air leads on the one hand to a drying process of the fruit pods 19, which are opened as a result, and expose the seeds with the seed hairs. On the other hand, the fruit pods 19 are mixed up with one another in eddy fashion in connection with the movement of the drum insert 11 in the treatment chamber 17. This contributes to the loosening and/or release of the seed hairs 21 from the seed kernels 22.

[0047] The seed hairs 21 are blown by the airflow in the direction of flow 28 out of the treatment chamber 17 into the separation chamber 13. In addition to the seed hairs 21, parts of other foreign bodies may also pass into the separation chamber 13. The airflow is weakened on entry into the separation chamber 13, with the result that only the seed hairs 21 can be moved by the airflow in the separation chamber 13. The airflow is weakened because the flow cross-section of the separation chamber 13 is greater than that of the connection channel 14, as shown in the drawing.

[0048] The foreign bodies which are to be separated from the seed hairs 21 by the method, such as, for example, leaves 20 and fruit pod constituents 19, fall into the separation chamber 13 downwards in the direction of the arrow 29, and are deposited on the floor 30 of the separation chamber 13, because the air flow is no longer powerful enough to move them. The seed hairs 21, by contrast, are conducted in the direction of the flow 31 via an outlet nozzle 32, to a catchment net 33. The outlet nozzle 32 is located opposite the connection channel 14 in an elevated position, to ensure that foreign bodies cannot pass into the outlet nozzle 32.

[0049] The catchment net 33 is fine-meshed, comparable to a mosquito net. The seed hairs 21 can collect in the catchment net 33. The catchment net 33 is connected in a releasable manner to the outlet nozzle 32, so that the collected seed hairs 21 can be conducted onwards for further processing as fiber material for filling or insulating materials.

[0050] The container 10 and the separation chamber 13 are arranged by way of example. In other embodiments, instead of the separated container 10 and the separation chamber 13, a container of a device can be used, which in one embodiment has several treatment chambers arranged one behind another.

[0051] The drying temperature in the drum insert 11 may be kept so low that the pods only open slowly. The suitable temperature may differ depending on the type of plant. At the same time, the revolution speed of the drum insert 11 is maintained sufficiently high for the harvested material with the pods still closed to be frequently raised and dropped onto the floor of the drum insert. As a result, the connection between the seeds and the seed hairs will be loosened or released. The seed hairs 21 which are already released and the seed hairs which are still loosely connected to the seeds are conducted out of the drum insert by an air flow maintained at a suitably high strength, before they are covered over by the harvested material, as frequently occurs, and are thus impaired in their fiber quality.

[0052]FIG. 2 provides particularly gentle treatment for the fibers, according to which a fan is located behind the catchment device to function as a suction extraction blower 35, whereby the catchment device is located in an enclosed space 34.

[0053] In FIG. 3, the axis of rotation 24′ of the drum insert 11′ is not located in a fully horizontal position, but in a position inclined at an angle of a few degrees to the horizontal plane 37. The result of this is that harvested material which has not been opened remains closer to the heating system, while the light fiber material is already being moved in the direction of the connection channel 14′. The advantage in this situation is that contaminated material which is taken up in the eddy current does not pass with such force into the connection channel 14′, as a result of which better preliminary decontamination is achieved. In addition to this, this also allows for the suction surface 36′ of the connection channel 14′ to be enlarged and the blowing capacity of the suction device to be increased. A further advantage derives from the fact that the seed hairs which are released are no longer subjected to such high temperatures as the harvested material which has not yet opened, and are therefore treated with additional gentleness with regard to the thermal effects. This also allows for thermal energy to be utilized more effectively.

[0054]FIG. 4 shows details of another device. A non-rotating transition piece 82 is arranged between the container 10 and the connection channel 14″, the diameter of which is somewhat smaller than that of the drum insert 11 and substantially larger than that of the connection channel 14″. The effect of this is that, on the one hand, due to the greater diameter with the correspondingly reduced flow rate, more lightweight seed hairs and less contaminated material pass into the connection channel 14″, as a result of which better preliminary decontamination and more effective suction extraction of the seed hairs is achieved, and, on the other hand, less contaminated material taken up by the eddy currents passes into the connection channel 14″, as a result of which better preliminary decontamination is likewise achieved.

[0055]FIG. 5 shows a relatively long separation chamber 13′ arranged horizontally, in which the path of the fibers, which are moved by the flowing air, is separated at an early stage from the path of the other constituents of the fruit.

[0056]FIG. 6 shows a face wall of the drum 11 on the output side, which features a central aperture 70 with a circumferential unperforated edge 72, which prevents coarse particles from falling through.

[0057]FIG. 7 shows an alternative form to FIG. 6, in which, instead of the central large aperture, perforation holes 71 are provided for. Here too, a non-perforated external area is provided for.

[0058] With the preferred embodiment shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, the carrier(s) 25 project, with fork-shaped projections or ribs 40 into the interior of the drum 11 in such a way that they allow the harvested material 41 which is to be opened to pour down from above, as a result of which effective utilization of the drying air and better eddy circulation of the seed hairs can be achieved. These fork-shaped carrier ribs 40 are arranged on a plane at the edge of the drum along the axis of rotation 24.

[0059] With the embodiment explained on the basis of FIG. 10, the material which has been drawn up by suction and subjected to preliminary decontamination is conducted, before being introduced into the separation chamber 13, into tubes 50, which are corrugated (i.e. the interiors are not smooth-walled) and/or which feature rough or uneven internal walls, for example in the form of rod-shaped obstacles 51. As a result of this, seeds which are still connected to the hairs are separated from them due to impact against the obstacles, while the hairs which have already been released are swept on the air flow past the obstacles because of their lightness (or their different specific weight). As a result of this, the utilization of the harvested material and the purity of the fibrous material, i.e. the efficiency of the method, is increased in a manner such as to provide gentler processing.

[0060] In a preferred embodiment, the material which is suctioned up after undergoing preliminary decontamination is conducted, before introduction into the separation chamber 13, into tubes in which, for example by means of a course of the tube in the form of a curve or spiral staircase and/or due to sudden changes of direction and/or due to sudden changes of diameter, eddy currents of the air flows are created. As a result of this, seeds, which are still connected to the seed hairs, are separated from the hairs.

[0061] Methods involved with any preliminary treatment, with the opening of the fruit pods, and with the decontamination, are to the purpose very finely adjusted to the conditions of the individual seed fiber plants in each case and to their degree of ripeness.

[0062] Methods of harvesting and obtaining a fiber material (21), formed from fruits of poplars, willows, composites or similar plants, suitable for use as a raw material for insulation purposes or for the manufacture of non-wovens or as filling or padding material, can be applied. The closed fruits of poplars, willows, composites or similar plants can be dried and opened in a treatment chamber (17) of a device (1) by means of an air flow, and moved in the treatment chamber (17) in such a way that the fiber material (21) contained in the fruit pods (19) is released from the other constituent parts of the fruit. Instead of cotton fibers, obtaining and utilizing another plant fiber material, with the gentlest possible treatment of the fibers is proposed.

[0063] Attention is expressly drawn to the fact that it is not necessarily seed-free material only which can be obtained with the methods referred to, since the possibility also pertains of gentle subsequent treatment by means of known carding methods/carding machines or other machines. The most important feature is that the fibers can be obtained in a substantially gentler manner than with previously known ginning methods, and for the first time allows obtaining very fine fibers. 

I claim:
 1. A use of fiber material from at least one of poplar, willow, fruit hair developing plants, Bombacacea, cotton, cotton-type epilobium strains, fruits having hairy outgrowths from inner walls thereof, composites, and all other seed hair containing plants for the manufacture of at least one of insulation materials, filling, padding materials, papers, body padding, coverings, non-woven materials, textile material, natural-fiber-reinforced plastics, insulation material for construction purposes, sound-proofing materials, thermal insulation, cosmetic products, hygiene products, diapers, wadding, sanitary napkins, and filter materials.
 2. The use of claim 1, further comprising reinforcing the fiber material with at least one of natural and artificial fibers.
 3. The use of claim 1, further comprising at least one of mixing and treating the fiber material with at least one of other stabilizing materials and treatment methods, to exert an anti-clumping effect.
 4. The use of claim 1, further comprising adding at least one of cork waste and peat to the fiber material.
 5. The use of claim 1, further comprising decontamination by conventional decontamination methods.
 6. The use of claim 1, wherein the fiber material is extracted by a method comprising the steps of: a) introducing fruit pods into a treatment chamber; b) flowing air through said treatment chamber to dry said fruit pods; and c) moving said fruit pods in said treatment chamber to substantially release fiber material from other constituents, wherein initially closed fruit pods open to expose fiber material contained therein. 